Container



March 21, 1944. J. D'EsPosn-o CONTAINER Filed July 16. 1942 i @Zlatan fpoJL'/o www@ Patented Mar. 21, 1944 lUNITED j sTATEs PATENT oEEI'cE tainer Corporation of te, lli., assignor to Con- America, Chicago, Ill., a

corporation o! Delaware Application July 16, 1942, Serial No. 451,155 Y (Cl. 229-44) 6 Claims.

The present invention relates to containers and particularly to containers formed from sheet material such as paperboard or the like. The containers of the present. invention when made of solid ilberboard are particularly suitable as packing and shipping cases for holding and transporting commodities, suchas bottled products which are handled under refrigerated conditions and-require the use of containers capable of retainingl their strength and rigidity under such conditions.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved container that can be quickly and easily formed and assembled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container formed from sheet material and which is reinforced to provide a sturdy and rigid construction.

A more specific object of theY invention is to provide a container having reinforced top or cover panels, the reinforcements furnishing means to facilitate the assembly or forming of the containers particularly the positioning of.

flanges on the top panels of the container.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing;

Fig. l is a perspective view of the container of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is van enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional'view along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 illustrating particularly the construction of the ilanges on thetop panels of the container.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of an upper corner of the container showing a portion of the under side of one cover panel in open position.

Fig. 4 is a vplan view of a blank suitableV for forming the bottom, sides, and top of the container shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a blank suitable for forming one of the end panels of the container shown in Fig. 1. 4

Referring to the drawing, the novel container of the invention, as shown in perspective in Fig.

` 1, has its bottom, sides, and top formed from a blank such as illustrated in Fig. 4 and preferably has its ends formed from blanks such as that illustrated in Fig. 5. The blank. II) shown in Fig. 4 is provided with fold or score lines II, I2, I3, I4, I5 and I6 to denne a bottom wall or panel Il, side walls or panels I8 and cover or top panels I9. the side wallsrox panels being conl nected flexibly at the fold lines Il and I2 the bottom wall or panel Il and at the fold lines I3 and I4 to the top or cover panels I9. l

The bottom panel I'I has at each end a flap 20, and the side panels I8 also have at their opposite ends flaps 2i, all of the end aps being bendable about the fold lines I5 and I6. 'I'he top or cover panels I9 likewise are provided with ilanges or ilaps 22 also defined by the fold or score lines I5 and I6 Aand for a purpose hereinafter to be described. These ilaps or flanges 22 are notched at 23 to aid in assembling the container, as will be hereinafter more fully de-` scribed.

Fold lines 24 and 25 which are parallel to score lines I3 and I4 deine narrow panels 26 hingedly connected to cover panels I9 and the score lines 25 and another pair of score or fold lines 21 define another pair of narrow panels 28 hingedly connected to the panels 26 and adapted to extend back to the main body of the top panels I9 at an acute angle with respect to the panels 26, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, to fo'rm flanges on the top or cover panels I9 which extends inwardly when they are in closed position. It will be noted that each of the cover panels extends substantially half-way across the top of the container and that the anges thereon together with a portion of the cover panel associated therewith arev right triangular in cross-section. Another fold line 29, parallel to and slightly spaced from fold line 2l, defines a ilange-securing ap 30 connected to panel 28 which is adapted to be secured in face engagement with the underside of the main body of ,top panel I9 by staples or other suitable means. The naps 26 and 28 are of such length that they can enter the set-up container between the end walls and the flap 38 is made slightly shorter than iiaps 26 and 28 by forming a notch 3i in each end corner of the top panels i9, so that the outer corner portions thereof are adapted to cooperate with the notches 23 on the `iiaps 22, as will be hereinafter more fully described.-

One of the blanks 32 for the end walls is shown in Fig. 5. Each blank 32 is provided with fold or score lines 33 and 34 to define an end panel 35 and reinforcing flaps 36 and 3l at the upper end thereof. 'I'he flap 3l is folded score 34 so that it is in face flap 36 and then the two score 33 so that the fold the upper edge of a-hand reinforcement for the end down along the engagement with aps are folded along line 34 extends along hole 38. This provides panel above the hand A I9, that is, at substantially hole and also provides a better and broader grip for one who handles the container.

In assembling the container, the end flaps or flanges 22 on each top panel I9 are folded along the fold lines I5 and Itand securedto'the normal underside of the top panel It by any suitable means, such asstaples I3. The panel 23 on each top panel I! is then folded along the score line 25st an acute ansleto the panel 23, and the nange-securing flap 3l is folded in the opposite direction along Vthe score lines 21 and 25|. The free corner portions of the `flange-securing ilap 30 are placed in the notches 23 in the flaps 22 and then the flange-securing flaps 33 are secured to the top panel I3 in face to face relation by any suitable means, such as staples Il. It will be 'observed the end flaps 22 not only serve as reinforcing'means fory the edges of each top or cover panel I9, but thenotches 2-3 therein also serve to facilitate' thepositioning in place of each flange-securing flap 30 in the membly of the container. The notches 23 accurately determine the position of each ap 30 and thus save the time the workman otherwise would have to expend in determining the exact position in which to secure or staple the flap to the cover panel.

'I'he panels 28 and 23 and the flap 30 of each cover panel are so dimensioned and the notches 23 are so arranged than when the free corner portions of the flap 30 are positioned in the notches 23 the panel 28 is at the desired angle with respect to the main body of the cover panel right angles thereto. The flange formed by the panels 26 and 28 is very rigid since -it is of triangular cross-section as shown inFigures 2 and 3.

The blank Ill is then folded along the fold lines Il and` I2 so that the side panels I8 and top panels I9 extend upwardly substantially at right angles to the bottom panel I1. The top or cover panels I9 are then folded along fold lines I3 and Il so that the top panels I9 extend outwardly at an angle to the adjacent slide'panels I8. The end flaps 20 and 2l on the bottom panel I1 and side panels I3 are bent inwardly along the score or fold lines I5 and I6 as shown in Fig. .1 and the end wall panels are positioned against and fastened vto the inner surfaces of end flaps 20 and 2| by any suitable means, such as for example staples 39.

The cover panels I3`are then placed in closed position so that the flanges extend into the container between the end wall panels 36 and the reinforcing flaps 22 on the cover panels rest on the top edge portionseof the end wall panels. As shown in Figure 4, the panels 23 and 28 are shorter in length than is the main body of the cover panels I9 in order that the flange formed by the-` panels 28 and 28 will clear the end wall panels 35 including the reinforcing flaps thereonwhen the cover is closed. Because of the resiliency of and abutment between the flanges on each cover panel the latter are retained in closed position without further fastening or locking means. i

Although in the foregoing description andl in -cover or top panels of the drawing there is described andv illustrated two cover panels as illustrated, and many of the advantages of the invention will be retained. Furthermore, the end wall panels may be formed integrally with the bottom panel or with the side panels instead of being formed as separate blanks as illustrated.

While containers according to the invention may be i'ormedv from any suitable sheet material having the strength and rigidity aswell as the flexibility required for the manufacture and use of the container, forl most purposes 4it is preferred to use paperboard of the type known as solid fiber.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated in connection with specic embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit thereof and it is therefore desired to be limited only by thescope of the appended claims.

1. In a container formed from paperboard or the like including bottom, side and end walls, coverrpanels extending from the top edges of said side walls. each of said coverpanels being adapted to extend toward eachother substantially half-way across the top of said container and a downwardly extending ange along the free edge of each cover panel having a triangular cross-section comprising two integral angularly disposed panels and a flange-securing flap 2. The improvement as defined in claim l1V wherein said cover panels when in closed position rest upon the upper edges of said end walls and said downwardly extending flanges are adapted to enter said container and to extend `substantially from one end wall to the other.

3. An improved container for bottled beverages and the like made of paperboard comprising a bottom, side and end wallsI cover panels extending from the top edges of said side walls so that in closed position their free ends are'in adjacent and aligned position substantially midway between said top edges, said cover panels being of sufficient width to rest upon the lupper edges of said end walls and having reinforcing flanges on their lateral edges folded and secured to the underside thereof, a flange-forming panel integrally joined to each of said cover panels along said free edge extending downwardly therefrom in substantially face-to-face relation when said cover panels are closed, a supporting panel integrally joined to each of said flange-forming panels extending obliquely therefrom to said cover panels, a securing panel integrally Joined to each of said supporting panels secured to the underside of said cover panels, said flange-forming and supporting panels being arranged t'o en ter said container between said end walls and to cause said cover panels to tend to remain in closed position, and a notch in each of said reinforcing flanges adapted to receive and position said securing panels. whereby proper positioning` of said flange-forming and supporting panels during manufacture is assured.

4. Animproved container according to claim 3 wherein said bottom, side walls, and cover panels and their associated parts are formed from one blank and each of said end walls is formed from a separate blank, and wherein each of said end wall blanks includes at its upper end a plurality of flanges adapted to be folded inwardly and upon each other and to be secured to said end wall, whereby the rigidity of said container is enhanced.

5. .A container formed from paperboard or the like, including bottom, side and end panels, a cover panel extending from the top edge of each of the side panels, each cover panel having a. flange adjacent its free edge, said flange vbeing integral with the cover panel and having a ilangesecuring flap secured to the cover panel, and reinforcing flaps integral with the lateral edges of each cover panel and bent under each cover panel and secured thereto to strengthen said lateral-edges, said reinforcing flaps having notches therein for receiving the ends of the ange securing ilap on each cover panel to accurately position said flange securing flap with respect to the cover panel whereby the flange associated therewith also is disposed in the desired. position.

6. A container formed from paperboard or the like, including bottom, side and end panels, a cover panel extending from the top edge of at least one of the side panels, said cover panel having at its -free edge a flange formed integral therewith, said flange having two panels forming with a portion of the cover panel a triangularI cross-section and having a flap .secured to the cover panel', a reinforcing nap on each edge of the cover panel, each reinforcing ap being folded and secured to the underside of the cover panel, and a notch in each reinforcing ap for receiving and positioning the flange-securing ap accurately in position whereby the desired ositioning of the ange is assured during the assembly of the container.

JULIAN DESPOSITO. 

